IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2021i1p131-d709595.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Digital Social Responsibility towards Corporate Social Responsibility and Strategic Performance of Hi-Tech SMEs: Customer Engagement as a Mediator

Author

Listed:
  • Amira Khattak

    (Marketing Department, College of Business Administration, Prince Sultan University, P.O. Box 53073, Riyadh 11586, Saudi Arabia)

  • Zahid Yousaf

    (Higher Education Department, Government College of Management Sciences, Mansehra 21300, Pakistan)

Abstract

Digitalization has opened up new methods to promote socialization in all types of organizations, generally, and businesses specifically. Stakeholders now prefer those businesses which are inclined towards social norms and virtues. In the era of digitalization, digital social responsibility (DSR) has become the strategic decision for all kinds of business organizations. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to highlight the achievement of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and strategic performance (SP) through customer engagement with digital social responsibility (DSR). Customer engagement with DSR is also tested as a mediator between DSR and CSR performance, and DSR and SP. Data were collected from the owners/managers of hi-tech Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). For the purpose of data analysis, various statistical procedures were applied. Results proved that DSR plays an essential role in explaining customer engagement with DSR, SP and CSR performance. Customer engagement with DSR directly affects SP and CSR performance, and also acts as a mediator. This study contributes to both theory and practical management by investigating how DSR helps to achieve SP and CSR performance. This is a unique study of the mechanism to achieve SP and CSR performance through DSR and customer engagement with DSR.

Suggested Citation

  • Amira Khattak & Zahid Yousaf, 2021. "Digital Social Responsibility towards Corporate Social Responsibility and Strategic Performance of Hi-Tech SMEs: Customer Engagement as a Mediator," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-16, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2021:i:1:p:131-:d:709595
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/1/131/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/1/131/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Okazaki, Shintaro & Plangger, Kirk & West, Douglas & Menéndez, Héctor D., 2020. "Exploring digital corporate social responsibility communications on Twitter," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 675-682.
    2. Abdul Karim Feroz & Hangjung Zo & Ananth Chiravuri, 2021. "Digital Transformation and Environmental Sustainability: A Review and Research Agenda," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-20, February.
    3. Jose Benitez & Laura Ruiz & Ana Castillo & Javier Llorens, 2020. "How corporate social responsibility activities influence employer reputation: The role of social media capability," Post-Print hal-02462583, HAL.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Yongjie Zhu & Shanyue Jin, 2023. "COVID-19, Digital Transformation of Banks, and Operational Capabilities of Commercial Banks," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-17, May.
    2. Xin Zhang & Jun Wan & Yongsheng Jin, 2023. "Exploring the Outcomes of Customer Engagement in DSR: The Role of Affective Commitment and Gamification Affordance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-16, March.
    3. Haifei Wang & Hongjun Wu & Peter Humphreys, 2022. "Chinese Merchant Group Culture, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Cost of Debt: Evidence from Private Listed Firms in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-18, February.
    4. Wilert Puriwat & Suchart Tripopsakul, 2022. "From ESG to DESG: The Impact of DESG (Digital Environmental, Social, and Governance) on Customer Attitudes and Brand Equity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-15, August.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Tomasz Noga & Milena Le Viet-Blaszczyk, 2023. "The Role of Selected Themes and Formats in Social Media Marketing Communication of CSR Activities," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(2), pages 562-576.
    2. repec:hal:journl:hal-03650216 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Long Xue & Qianyu Zhang & Xuemang Zhang & Chengyu Li, 2022. "Can Digital Transformation Promote Green Technology Innovation?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-20, June.
    4. Hossein Rahnama & Kerstin Johansen & Lisa Larsson & Anna Öhrwall Rönnbäck, 2022. "Collaboration in Value Constellations for Sustainable Production: The Perspective of Small Technology Solution Providers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-20, April.
    5. Mendez-Picazo, María-Teresa & Galindo-Martin, Miguel-Angel & Perez-Pujol, Rafael-Sergio, 2024. "Direct and indirect effects of digital transformation on sustainable development in pre- and post-pandemic periods," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    6. Lea Primožič & Andreja Kutnar, 2022. "Sustainability Communication in Global Consumer Brands," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-16, October.
    7. Hornungová, Jana & Petrová, Kateřina, 2023. "The Relationship Between Digital Performance and Production of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in EU Countries: Correlation Analysis and ANOVA Method," AGRIS on-line Papers in Economics and Informatics, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Economics and Management, vol. 15(1), January.
    8. Ute Merbecks, 2024. "Corporate digital responsibility (CDR) in Germany: background and first empirical evidence from DAX 30 companies in 2020," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 94(7), pages 1025-1049, October.
    9. Dimitrios Vlachopoulos & Rannveig Björk Thorkelsdóttir & Despoina Schina & Jóna Guðrún Jónsdóttir, 2023. "Teachers’ Experience and Perceptions of Sustainable Digitalization in School Education: An Existential Phenomenological Study of Teachers in Romania, Greece, Cyprus, Iceland, and The Netherlands," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-17, September.
    10. Nadeem, Kashif & Wong, Sut I. & Za, Stefano & Venditti, Michelina, 2024. "Digital transformation and industry 4.0 employees: Empirical evidence from top digital nations," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    11. Diána Esses & Mária Szalmáné Csete & Bálint Németh, 2021. "Sustainability and Digital Transformation in the Visegrad Group of Central European Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-14, May.
    12. Hou, Tingting & Luo, Xin (Robert) & Ke, Dan & Cheng, Xusen, 2022. "Exploring different appraisals in deviant sharing behaviors: A mixed-methods study," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 496-509.
    13. Youmeng Wu & Hao Sun & Hongliang Sun & Chi Xie, 2022. "Impact of Public Environmental Concerns on the Digital Transformation of Heavily Polluting Enterprises," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-19, December.
    14. Tal Ben-Zvi & Jerry Luftman, 2022. "Post-Pandemic IT: Digital Transformation and Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-11, November.
    15. Lucie Kvasničková Stanislavská & Ladislav Pilař & Klára Margarisová & Roman Kvasnička, 2020. "Corporate Social Responsibility and Social Media: Comparison between Developing and Developed Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(13), pages 1-19, June.
    16. Zhong, Min & Umar, Muhammad & Mirza, Nawazish & Safi, Adnan, 2024. "Mineral resource Optimization: The Nexus of sustainability, digital transformation, and green finance in OECD economies," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    17. Theerasak Nitlarp & Supaporn Kiattisin, 2022. "The Impact Factors of Industry 4.0 on ESG in the Energy Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-19, July.
    18. Daniel Beverungen & Thomas Hess & Antonia Köster & Christiane Lehrer, 2022. "From private digital platforms to public data spaces: implications for the digital transformation," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 32(2), pages 493-501, June.
    19. Amoah John & Nutakor Felix & Li Jinke & Jibril Abdul Bashiru & Sanful Benjamin & Odei Michael Amponsah, 2021. "Antecedents of social media usage intensity in the financial sector of an emerging economy: a Pls-Sem Algorithm," Management & Marketing, Sciendo, vol. 16(4), pages 387-406, December.
    20. Carmen Isensee & Frank Teuteberg & Kai Michael Griese, 2022. "Exploring the Use of Mobile Apps for Fostering Sustainability-Oriented Corporate Culture: A Qualitative Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-25, June.
    21. Jimmy Merlet & Thierry Pénard, 2019. "RSE et transformation numérique des entreprises artisanales : une étude sur données d’enquête," Economics Working Paper Archive (University of Rennes & University of Caen) 2019-02, Center for Research in Economics and Management (CREM), University of Rennes, University of Caen and CNRS.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2021:i:1:p:131-:d:709595. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.